I have just about recovered from the nerve-wracking business of appearing on live television - in Arabic. Nile TV were kind enough to invite the Embassy on their programme "On the Shores of the Mediterranean". With the Ambassador away, that fell to me. There will be a link soon here if you want to see the result. As Arabic speakers will notice (a) Amal Roushdy, the interviewer, was gentle with me, (b) Hatem Seif el-Nasr, Egypt's Ambassador to London, was a far more eloquent exponent of the strength of UK-Egypt relations and (c) my Arabic is not as good as it should be - lessons restart tomorrow...
The next appearance on screen was during the Foreign Office's first "Virtual" Leadership Conference. This was the first time that we had used new web-conferencing technology on a large scale. Over 200 representatives from Embassies around the world and colleagues in London were involved. We heard and saw the Foreign Secretary deliver a keynote address, which included a reminder that a resolution to the Arab-Israel conflict and the Palestinian issue in particular was "at the heart of the British national interest". There were interactive discussions in regional breakout groups, and the ability to chat and message with those participating. All a lot greener and less disruptive than putting us all on planes back to London. Cheaper, too, which is just as well given the reminders of the current financial pressures, especially acute for an organisation working worldwide but with its budget set in sterling.
With all this and more going on, I have failed, as last year, to get immersed in any of the Ramadan TV series. But I have been able to enjoy some of the very Egyptian ways of marking Ramadan, as well as the unaccustomed quiet which descends on even the busiest parts of the city as the sun sets. I'll take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and peaceful Eid.
Posted at 14:00 17 September 2009 by Jon Davies | Comments[0]
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